Improvement in gun-cleaners



.G. G. GUULB.

Gun-Cleaners.

10,143,139, PatentedSeptemb-arQS,1873.

Fi .4. 4 Fi 2.

WiiPne'sses Invenifor sired to open the arms.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. GOULD, OF WINDHAM, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUN-CLEANERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,139. dated September 23, 1873; application filed September 17, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. GOULD, of Windham, in the county of Windham and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun-Cleaners; and I do hereby declare that the following'is a full,

device adapted to hold and securely clamp a sponge or like yielding absorbent material; and its object is to furnish a suitable and convenient swab or cleaner for gun-barrels and other tubular and hollow articles.

Figure 1 in the accompanying drawings represents a plan view of my device with a portion cut away to exhibit the slotted hingeplate, and Fig. 2 represents it as holding a sponge and ready for attachment to a ram rod, cleaning-rod, or other handle.

A and B are two rods or jaws hinged at G, and from that point rapidly meeting each other until about midway of the shorter section when they are bent out relatively to this inclination, but still preserve a gradual approach to each other, forming from this point, when closed, a tapering ferrule, which is screwthreaded to receive the nut D. The shorter section, when shut down upon the other, abuts against a shoulder upon the latter, which here becomes a perfect spindle, and receives the continuation of the screw-thread the object ofthis latter being that the nut may not become disengaged and fall off when it is de- The shank or tang upon the longer section is formed as a male or female screw, or otherwise, for attachment to a cleaning-rod or handle. In the drawings, at E, I have represented it witha male screw; but it is obvious that it may be provided with any ordinary means for connection without departing from my invention; also, it is apparent that the two sections may be made to meet evenly at their ends, and screw directly into the rod or handle without the interposition of the clamping-nut, but at the expense of convenience. The sections may be hinged directly together without allowing latitude for play 5 but I prefer to use the hinge shown at O, in which d is a plate received between ears upon each arm, and having oblong slots to play upon the pins or pivots, thereby allowing more or less material to be taken up and firmly held between these arms or jaws, and permitting, by means of the clamping-nut D, adjustment to barrels of different bores or to hollow or tubular articles of different sizes.

The operation of the device is as follows: An

' incision having been made through a sponge or other suitable material, the short arm is passed through it until the hinge is embedded, whenit is shut down upon the other, clamping a portion of the sponge between the two jaws. The clamping-nut is then moved forward to embrace and lock the two arms, when the cleaner is ready for use, unless it should be desired to use it in a small bore, in which case the clamp-nut is moved on bringing the diverging jaws together, the hinge meanwhile yielding to the extent of the slots until the cleaner has attained the desired size; and, if desired, a

more symmetrical form can be produced by stitching or wrapping the sponge in such a manner as to entirely cover the arms or jaws above the nut D after the sponge has been securely clamped.

Although I have described the two sections as bent, it is plain they may both be made straight, and in this form will operate reasonably well.

Having thus described my-invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by-Letters Patent, is-- 1. The hinged sections A and B, having external screw -threads and a securing-nut adapted to clamp or secure a wiper, and adapted by suitable means for attachment to a ramrod or other handle, substantially as described.

2. The combinationof the sections A and B with the slotted hinge-plate and a clampingnut, as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES G. GOULD.

Witnesses LEMUEL BURsLEY, WILLIAM E. SWEET. 

